Shipping container for breakable sheets



Dec. 21, 1943. w. P. HILGER SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR BREAKABLE SHEETSv 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 2, 1940 YI//////////////////////////////////////// l l l V///////// Dem'zl, 1943.w, R H GER I 2,337,468

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR `BRIEMKABLE SHEETS Patented Dec. 21, 1943SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR BREAKABLE .SHEETSl William P. Hilger,v St. Cloud,Minn., assignor to llv H. Flanagan and M. H. OLnk, St. Cloud,

Application October 2, 1940, Serial No. 359,381

(Cl. 20S-62) Claims.

My invention relates to shipping containers for breakable sheets such asglass sheets, frost shields, sleet shields and the like, and has for itsobject to provide aspecial type of shipping container with means thereinadapted to hold the 5 The full objects and advantages of my invensheetsspaced from all walls of the container it'- tion appear in connectionwith the detailed deself and spaced from one another and protectedscription thereof, and the novel features by which against any possibleinjury in handling. the lhereinbefore detailed advantageous results Itis a principal object of my invention theresought are obtained, areparticularly pointed out fore to provide a carton of usual constructionlo in the claims, it being understood that details made of folding boardin a well known way, and of construction may be varied without departtoprovide Withinv the ends, members engageable ing from the spirit of theinvention as described with the ends o f the sheets and holding them andclaimed. spaced from the ends of the carton and protect- In the drawingsillustrating an application oi ing them fom shock by dropping orthrowing the my invention in one form: said carton about, in combinationwith special Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through a holdermembers secured to the side walls of the container showing myimprovements applied carton and engageable with the edges of the theretoand the position of a glass sheet therein, sheets for holding saidsheets spaced from one the gure being taken on line I-I of Fig. 3.another and spaced from the side walls of the Fig. 2 is a similarsectional elevation view showcartons. ing the manner of taking care of arounded corner It is an object of my invention in carrying it to a glassSheet and Supports at the Center. out in one form to provide a bottomller` piece Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation View taken on having anglepieces across the corners of glass or line 3--3 of Fig. 2. 1 breakablesheets and hold them spaced from the Fig. 4 is a perspective partsectional view of walls of the carton, and, further to provide top oneof the iiller pieces. spacer strips formed with slots in a similarman-Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a modiner which may be appliedtothe upper cornersVl ed form of atiller piece. of the glass sheetsafter the same have been as- A Fig. 6 is a fragmentary-perspective View0f One sembled, s0 the carton then can be closedin the a0 0f theCentre111erDeeeS-- usual way and the sheets are held for shipping Fig. 7iS a Sectional VeW 0f the type of material so as to be protected in thehandling of the caremployed. tons. l Fig. 8 is a sectional view in theplane of the There are instances in which one or more of sheets of amodified form .of my invention Wherethe corners of the glass orbreakable sheets are in the Sheets are reterledjin DOSitiO by theba'Lrounded and itis'a further object of my ijn'venanoed action ofopposinaspring'members, shown tion to provide the ller strips withsuitable an' specifically as accordion plaited cardboard sheets.`gularly dispose yvalls and openings to 'eceive Fig; 9 is a sectional-ylew transverse Yt0 the said roundedfcorners, plane of the sheets ofthe modied form shown It is a furtlfierlobject of my invention to'apply210 inFig-8. y to the sides of the 'carton in which the ller'lstripsFigL 10 iS a Plan View 0f .el Cardboard Strip from are packed certainspecial homer memesfhavwhich the side holders are formed showing howingribs triangular in cross section extending into the openings arepunched from that strip with the carton with? slots formed in said ribs-for retheir Wider Perf/1011s at the'eenter. ceiving the edges of thesheets, i5 Fig. 11 is a perspective yiew of a portion of one It 1S a,further Object of my invention to prvide of the holder pieces in itsnished condition. aforesaid holder strips with slots which arewider Fig.12 is a perspective View of a portion of the at the apex of the ribsthan at the ends whereby Spring-like end ller Pieces. the glass sheetsmay readily be slipped in to said As Shown, a container l0 of usualconstruction 510155 5'0 has side walls Il and I 21provided with top sideIt is a further -object of my invention in vone of flaps I3 and I4 andbOttdn Side deps l5 and l5, its forms to provide end ller pieces formedof and has end walls I1 and l8 provided with top end means contactingthe ends of the sheets or plates flaps I9 and 20 and bottom end aps 2|and 22, with a spring action tending to hold the sheets all tobeassembled in theforxn of a closed con` and plates balanced between saidspring acting tainer in a well known way.

filler pieces in combination with the aforesaid side members for holdingthe sheets spaced from one another and spaced from the side walls of thecontainer.

portions 25 and'j2`6 and extension portions 21 and' 23. The' extensionpieces 21 and 28 engage the side walls I I and I2 of the container andthe angularly dis-posed portions 25 and 26 bridge across Y the cornersof the containers from the bottom .Y

wall to a side wall so as to leave triangular spaces 29 and 30 along thecorners of the container. Through the angular portions 25 and 26a'series of slots 3| are formed of the cross sectional form clearlyshown in Fig. 4, wherein the end walls 32 and 33 of said slots areangularly disposed-, .with--.

complished by introducing supplementary ller pieces 41 as shown in Figs.2 and 6. These supplementary ller pieces are triangular in cross sectionwith side walls 48 and 49 and inturned tongues 50 and 5I, as clearlyshown. The supplementary filler pieces in practice will be slid down theinside of the carton engaging the edges of the glass in slots 52 whichextend directly across thev apexes of the triangular portions of thesupplementary ller pieces and have end walls 53 and 54, Fig. 6,extending in a common plane adapted to engage the edges of the plates Asshown in Fig. 2, where rounded corners are found on the platesv thefiller pieces may be modied, as indicated at 55 in Fig. 2, to make asomewhat longerdiagonal portion 56 to receive the rounded corner,- itbeing understood that the respect to the planes of the Vportions andA 26so that said end walls 32 and 33 extend'at right anglesto each other andareadapted to receive the, corners-'54- and 35 cfa glass plate 36 suchas a windshield, frost shield or other thin breakable plate made ofmaterial such as glass.

After the fillerhas been positioned in the bottom as abovelolescribed'the sheets of glass such as windshields; frost` shields andthe like arepositioned; 21S-clearly; Shown in Figs. 1 and 3,;.Whereinthe several sh'eetis. are held spaced, as indicated at 31 on Fig. 3,.with their bottom corners 34and 35 held in the slots-3| and the edgeso-fVthe glass plates engaging ,the endwalls and 33 of said, Thereafter atop filler piece 3 8, identical slots. With-the llerfzpiece 23 andhavingthe same wall and angular portions and slots-as the ller'piece23,'is-applied to the upper portions of the" sheets 36 so that. theupper corners 38 and III- thereo project "through the slots 3l of theupper,v llerpiece38'.Y

'The upper flaps I9, llare then folded to engage thawall 24 of upperller plate 38 and the top end flaps I3 and I44 are closed and sealedandthe container is ready for shipping with each of the plates held spacedfrom each other andz'spaced from 'thew'alls of the container.

The arrangement is such, with the edges of the several plates36'engaging the end walls 32"and 33 of the slots 3l, that not only arethe glass-plates as-a"whole', and' their "corners particularly,'protected, but the glass itself greatly aidsin-renderin"g"tliemfentire`` container more rigid and `better adapted toresist any.kind of strain or shock.

.'Th'e same-result can` be obtained by using top and bottom' lier'piecesof ther type shown-in-Fig. 5, wherein.' two' filler' pieces 4I and 42'aregemploye'd. The pieces'lI4 and 42ghave b ottomporet tions 43'.'an 1A'44,' which, as 'shown,fare adaptedto'overlie'eachfother as showniinFig. 5. The ahgularlyi-,dispos'ed piece l5 ofthe piece 4 I .will besomewhat longer than the angularly disposedl part`46offthe piece 42, andthe slots `in; lI5iwill be deeper' than'tlie slots in 46,- so that asheretoforedescribed Athefjend-l walls of the slots will extend at rightangles to-'feachother and the sheets 36 will befheldwith'theiredgesengaging-said end walls. Obviously' this arrangement can be reversedf.or.thej upper assemblage of pieces 4I and 42, and when the glasssheets are positioned they will: be held iny substantially the samemanner asin the construction of Fig. l; Y v l `For very long sheets of-glassnsuch as sometimes are'found in;-windshie1ds, frost shields-andthe like itmay be desirable to additionally reenforce thefcartgn 'at itsseater and site. lateral Support to the center of theglass heets,zand.this iusufaeedges of these enlarged slots will be similar to edges 32-and 33 extending at right angles to each other and engagingvportions of.the sheet edges as indicated at 5T and 58, Fig. 2, at rightranglesg toeach other.

and comprises a base member 6I vand an attached portion folded at 62yand 63 so as to provide top flaps 64 and 65. The ends of the sheetsA'36 butt; against the flaps 64 and 65. whichare folded to;v

lie in a common plane. The folds 62,and 63.

made of a fairly stiff cardboard have a 'consid-.1

erable degree of spr-ing which causes the flaps v(54 and-55 ofv both ofthe ller pieces 59A and 60 to ex-l ercisef balanced pressure against the`ends of the sheets 36.v This-holdsA thesheets spaced from the ends ofthe carton and at the'same time, by means of the springing actionofthegller pieces 59 and 60, provides a shock absorbing support for'Vthe respective sheet ends whereby they are held within the containerAand protected from any shock resulting from handling.

Holder members 66 are positionedagainst the sides II and I2 of thecarton and engage the edges of the glass sheets 36 to hold them spacedfrom one another and from said side walls. These holder memberscomprising a sheet 61 of cardboard (Fig. 10) wherein a multiplicity -ofslots 68 have been punched, said slots being widened at the center, asindicated at- 69, Fig. 10.

The sheet is folded, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 11, so that a base-portion 'I0 has overlying itA a second flap 'Il with the slots 68-extending across vthe apex of the holder membersA The assemblage may besecured togethenby adhesive -tape- 'I2 -or other securing -means. Inasmuch as certain of the glass sheetsi such as frost shields, have.applied .thereto a rimof-material, not shown, which might be damaged byinsertion in slots 68 if the slots were narrow enoughat their entranceto engage the edges of the sheet, I have found it advantageous to expandthe slots 68 at the center as'indicated.

In assembling the cartons containing the sheets 36 the bottom fillerpiece 60 is put in position and the holder members 66 are alsopositioned and the sheets 36 slid down through slots 6B. The top llerlpiece 59 is then applied with the flaps 64 and 65 engaging the ,upperends of the sheets 36 and the carton is then closed and'is ready forshipping.

The advantages Yof my invention have been quite fullypointed outin'conneotion with the forego'- ing description. These advantages ariseout of the extreme simplicity and economy of construction, equalsimplicity and ease of assembling the parts and the breakable platesheld by the several parts, and the extraordinary protection of theplates packed in the container While being shipped, due in part to thefact that the plates themselves greatly aid in increasing the rigidityand strength of the loaded container and do it by direct edge thrustagainst the edges of the several plates.

I claim:

l. A shipping container comprising a box having pairs of end Walls andside Walls, supporting devices located at opposite end Walls Within thebox each having a part engageable with its end wall and having otherparts connected with said Wall-engaging parts for engaging andsupporting the end walls of breakable sheets such as glass frostshields, said engaging portions being so positioned as to hold the edgeof the glass sheets spaced from the said end walls and spaced from thepart of said supporting means engaging said Walls, and other supportingmembers having portions engageable With the side walls of the box andhaving a series of slotted plate-engaging portions positioned to receiveother edges of the several sheets and hold them spaced from one anotherand spaced from said side Walls of the container.

2. A shipping container comprising a box, vertical strips triangular incross-section on the inside side walls of the box with open slots acrossthe longitudinal apices of said strips adapted to hold a multiplicity ofglass sheets spaced from one another and spaced from said side walls,and members engageable with the ends of the box and with the ends of theglass sheets so as to hold said ends spaced from the ends of the box andto exercise a spring-like pressure upon opposite ends of said sheets.

3. A shipping container comprising a box,

slotted means along the sides of the box adapted to hold a multiplicityof glass sheets spaced from one another and spaced from said side Walls,and members formed of cardboard and having accordion folds at theirends, said members engaging the ends of the box and adapted to engagethe ends of the glass sheets so as to hold said ends spaced from theends of the box and to exercise a spring-like pressure upon oppositeends of the Sheets.

4. A shipping container comprising a box having pairs of end Walls andside Walls, sets of supporting devices located opposite each other alongthe side Walls Within the box each having a series of slots adapted toreceive and support edges of breakable sheets such as glass frostshields to hold said sheets spaced from the sides of the box and fromeach other, and other means located at the opposite end walls of the boxand engaging at one side said end walls and at the other side the edgesof the plates with a spring pressure to restrain said sheets from movingendwise along the slots and to hold them spaced from the end Walls andprotected against shock.

5. A shipping container comprising a box having pairs of end walls andside Walls, sets of supporting devices located opposite each other alongthe side Walls Within the box each having a series of slots adapted toreceive and support edges of breakable sheets such as glass frostshields to hold said sheets spaced from the sides of the box and fromeach other, and spacer members formed of cardboard with the side edgesthereof turned inwardly in accordion folds, said members engaging theends of the box with their flat faces and adapted to engage the edges ofthe breakable sheets with a spring pressure to restrain said sheets frommoving endwise along the slots and to hold them spaced from the endWalls and protected against shock.

WILLIAM P. HILGER.

